


A Day Off

by DayenuRose



Series: Untangling the Threads [3]
Category: Batgirl (Comics), Nightwing (Comics)
Genre: Bookstores, Coffee Shops, Day Off, Degrees and Doctorates, F/M, Fireflies, Fluff, Gotham City - Freeform, Playgrounds, Poetry, Reminiscing, Swing Set, peanut butter mochas, relationship building, ring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-18
Updated: 2018-06-29
Packaged: 2019-05-24 23:29:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14964287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DayenuRose/pseuds/DayenuRose
Summary: Every once in a while we all need a day off and Barbara Gordon doesn't get many of them. So, when Dick Grayson shows up unexpectedly in Gotham, Babs invites him to join her. Can the two vigilantes enjoy a day off without trouble finding them?A sequel to 'Date Nights, in Five Acts'





	1. The Mundanities of Life

“Hello, Barbara Gordon speaking, how may I help you?” Babs balanced her phone between her ear and her shoulder as she shuffled her bags of fresh produce. 

“Hey Babs, it’s me,” a familiar voice said from the other end of the line. One of her most favourite voices in the world. 

But, that’s couldn’t be, could it? This was an unknown number, and she knew his number by heart. The farmer’s market was busy and the noise of the crowds was making it hard to hear, so she made her way to the perimeter of the market. “Dick?”

"Where are you calling from? I don’t recognise the number.” 

“Well....that’s a bit of a long story. Short version, I needed a new phone.” There was a strangled half-laugh half-sigh. A familiar whir of background traffic underlaid the whole conversation. “I hate to bug you with this, but would you be able to set up all your security features on my phone.”

“Sure. Next time you’re in Gotham I can do that. Don’t use your phone for any.... _private_....business until I get it set up.”

“Since we’re speaking of Gotham...”

“You’re already here, aren’t you? Where?” A grin broke across Babs’ face. She was planning to take another lap around the market, but heading out sounded like a better idea. 

“I’m outside your apartment.” 

She unlocked her bicycle and placed her bags in the basket. “Your codes still work. You can wait for me upstairs. I’ll be home in fifteen.” 

“Thanks Babs, love you.” She could hear the smile in his voice. 

“Love you too. See you soon.” Disconnecting the call, she stowed her phone and headed home. 

 

The traffic had been with her and she was able to make in home in closer to ten minutes than fifteen. Too impatient to wait for the elevator, she took the stairs by twos. By the time she reached her apartment on the top floor her legs were jelly.

“Welcome home,” Dick said as he opened her front door before she could finish juggling her bags and unlock it herself. Despite the heat of the day, he still wore his leather jacket. He’d placed his helmet on the end table beside a vase of flowers that hadn’t been there when she’d left earlier that morning. 

“Mmm. I like the sound of that,” she said as she set down her bags and closed the door with her foot. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she rested her head against his shoulder. 

“Me too,” he murmured and brushed a kiss against her temple. He wrapped his arms around her and picked her up. She kicked up her feet and didn’t protest as he spun her around in tight circles. 

After her feet were back on the ground and they clung to each other as they regained their equilibriums, he thoroughly kissed her. 

“Are you always going to welcome me home like that?” she asked as the kiss ended and she caught her breath. 

“As long as you like.” He grinned and swooped up half the bags. “Let’s get these put away and then we can make plans for the rest of the day.” 

“I already have plans. Of a sort.” She grabbed the rest of the bags and headed for the kitchen. “It’s my day off.”

“Oh.” His grin fell.

She checked him with her hip as she passed and took the bag of fresh bread and homemade jelly from him. “It’s not like that. You’re more than welcome to join me. I don’t get many days off, so when I do, I make plans to enjoy the day. You know, do all the things I love but aren’t life and death so they tend to get pushed aside on a daily basis.” 

“So, you’re asking me to just spend the day with you. Live life with you.” His grin was back at the thought of what it would be like to spend the rest of his life participating in the mundanities of life with the woman he loved. Making lunch and doing dishes. Grocery shopping and washing laundry. For the first time in his life, that didn’t sound like a chore. 

“Yup. Think you’re up for it, Boy Wonder?”

“You bet.”

 


	2. Of Degrees and Doctorates

“Back here,” Babs said, as she dragged Dick through the front of the bookshop towards the back. The front room was filled with a curated selection of children’s books that spanned the range from picture books to young adult novels. He had wondered why she’d insisted on this bookshop until they entered the back room. It was filled with wooden shelves crammed with a variety of used books. She paused a moment breathing in the scent of paper, ink and that slightly musty scent that often accompanied a room full of used books.

Babs ran her fingers along the spines of the books as she pulled him into a corner created where a shelf of mystery novels and shelf of science fiction novels met. She stood on her tiptoes and leaned in to kiss Dick. 

“What are you doing?” Dick whispered as he cast a furtive glance towards the front of the store. The proprietor had greeted Babs by name. She’d even recognised Dick, though this was the first time he’d met her. 

“I want to snog you.” She dropped back down on flat feet and turned towards the nearest shelf. Thumbing through a collection of Jim Butcher short stories, she decided she hadn’t read it yet and added it to the stack of books she’d been collecting since entering the store. “Marilynn won’t bother us.” 

Dick stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Over her shoulder he read titles that had a vague pop culture familiarity though he couldn’t place most of the plots. “She called you Dr. Gordon.” 

“Yes. That’s my name.” She turned and faced him. “I’ve earned it twice over.” 

He knew that, he just never really thought about what that meant. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone call you Dr. Gordon.” 

“My colleagues and students do, but I suppose when we’re together most people call me by my first name. I’ve known your family long before I earned my degrees and most of our mutual friends don’t call either of us by name.” 

“How does she—Marilynn—know?” 

“Her son is one of my students.” She reached past him and snagged a Jacqueline Winspear off the mystery shelf. 

Dick shifted to the side and studied the overcrowded shelf of mysteries. It seemed most of them were written by Grisham or Grafton. He breathed sharply through his nose. It felt like the book-laden shelves were closing in around him. Before they could trap him in the prolonged silence, he asked the question that weighed heavily on him. “Why are you dating me?”

“I thought that was obvious. I love you. Always have.” She rested her head against his shoulder. He didn’t respond to her touch. 

“I’m being serious.”

“So am I.”

“I can’t remember the last book I read. You thrive on all of this. I think I’m going to be crushed under the weight of all these words.” He gestured at the collection of books and slumped against the shelf. “Babs, I dropped out of college.” 

“I know.” She ran her thumb along his jawline and turned his face towards her. “And I don’t care. I didn’t fall in love with you because of your education.”

“But...”

“But nothing,” she said in a voice that permitted no protest. “Look, Dick, you know that we’re not the same person. Right?”

He nodded. 

“Good. Think about it this way, we have different strengths and weaknesses. You have more charisma in your little finger than I have in my entire being. You draw people to you, you read them. I keep people at arm’s length, I memorise facts about them. You have a grace of movement that I can only dream of. In fact, you have a natural athleticism that the rest of us can never match—not even Bruce. Does it bother you that I’m not as athletic or as charismatic as you?”

“No. You’re perfect.” He brushed her hair behind her ear. 

She shook her head. “Far from perfect, but you get my point. We compliment each other.”

“I know.” He touched his forehead to hers and dropped his voice to a whisper as other customers entered the back room and browsed the shelves. 

“If having a degree is important to you, you can always go back to school.”

“I suppose, but I don’t know what I’d study.”

“That’s up to you. Whatever you choose, I’ll support you.” She cradled her stack of books in one arm and wrapped her free arm around his waist. They meandered towards the front of the store. “Dick, don’t do it for me. Being with or without a degree won’t change how I feel about you. But, if you feel it’s something you need to accomplish, I’ll be there for you the whole way.”

“Thanks Babs. I’ll think about it.” 

“That’s all I ask.” She laid her books on the counter. While they waited for Marilynn to finish with another customer, Babs turned to Dick. “Did you find anything to read?”  
“I dunno. What would you recommend?” There was too many options, too many unknowns. 

She glanced around the shop and realised she already owned most of what she’d suggest for him. “When we get back to my place I’ll pull out a few options for you to choose from.”

He rested his head against hers and smiled. “Sounds good. I trust you.” 

 


	3. Of Connections and Coffee

“Afternoon Babs. Your usual?” The barista greeted them as they entered the coffee shop. He was already pulling a mug from the shelf behind the counter. 

“Hi Andy. Yes, the usual will be grand.” She turned to Dick. “What would you like to drink? My treat.” 

Dick searched for a menu or list of drinks. How had he not known a place like this existed in Gotham? He’d seen the building before, but he’d never been in it. Here Babs was on first name basis with staff and had a usual order. “What’s the usual?” 

“Peanut butter mocha.” 

“I’ll have the same.” He waited as Babs paid for the drinks, then led them over to a tall table circled by stools. 

She held out her hand. “Phone.” 

“How often do you come here?” He slid the phone across the table. She stopped it before it fell off the table and connected it to her laptop. 

“Few times a week. Sometimes I’ll have my smaller classes meet here for a discussion. Or, I’ll stop by after work to grade assignments. There’s times it’s easier to get things done here than it is at home. Too many distractions.” 

“And you’re not distracted here?” The shop was filled with a constant hum of activity. His gaze was everywhere, trying to take in all the details of the shop at once. The deep window seats at the front of the shop were filled with throw pillows and cushions in greens, burgundies and navies. Local artists displayed their masterpieces on walls of exposed brick. Though the tin ceiling tiles were painted a deep green, the elaborate patterns stamped into the metal over a century ago were still evident. 

“It’s your first time here, so it’s all new to you. Here, I don’t have my computer reminding me of all the work that I still need to do.” She squinted at the computer screen and typed mysterious commands into her security program. “And, the apartment gets lonely sometimes.” 

“Peanut butter mochas for Babs.” Andy called as he placed two large mugs on the counter.

“I’ll get them.” Dick hopped down from his stool and fetched the drinks. 

When he returned, he set one mocha beside her laptop. Without looking up, she reached for her drink and sipped it. “Thanks.” 

He sipped his mocha and watched her work. She sounded like she was humming as she mumbled to herself while she worked through the steps required to secure his phone. If he had his druthers, this day wouldn’t end. Maybe it didn’t need to. “What do you think about coming to stay with me in Blüdhaven?” 

“Hmm?” She gnawed her lower lip and answered a prompt from his phone. 

He could read most her expressions, but he wasn’t sure how to take this one. While the question had begun as little more than a spur of the moment wondering, he realised he meant it in earnest. He wasn’t even sure she’d actually heard him, or if she’d been lost in her work. It was probably better if she hadn’t... 

“Wait. What did you say? Stay where?” Babs stared at him over her laptop screen. 

“I asked if you’d come to Blüdhaven.”

“Dick, I have a life here in Gotham. I love my job. My night duties....keep me busy.” She sighed. Her knuckles whitened as she clutched the mug. “I’m not moving.” 

“I’m not suggesting you move. Not a permanent visit. A long weekend or maybe a week or two between semesters.” He caressed her hand. “I miss you Babs. My apartment gets lonely too.” 

She pulled her hand away and twisted her hair back into a knot. “I don’t know. Let me think about it.”

“Okay.” He ran his finger along the rim of his mug. 

Babs exhaled, blowing her fringe out of her eyes. “Don’t sulk. Please.” 

“I’m not...it’s just. Well, we’re going to have to discuss moving someday.”

“I know, but I’m not ready for that discussion yet. Are you?” 

He hesitated. “No. I suppose not.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out. We’ll know when it’s the right time to make the decision about where to live.” She reached across the table and held his hand. “Besides, there is something I’m certain about.”

“Oh? Do tell.” 

“Life is better with you at my side.”

“I love you too.” He brushed a kiss across her fingertips. 

“Good.” She pulled her hand back and squared herself in front of her laptop. “Now, give me thirty minutes uninterrupted—forty-five tops—to fix your phone and we can head out. Sound good?”

He nodded and mimed locking his lips. She giggled and gently kicked his leg under the table before turning back to her work. With Babs attention otherwise occupied, Dick shuffled through her bag of recently purchased books trying to find one to fill the time.

 


	4. Of Playgrounds and Poetry

“Over here,” Dick said as he jogged towards the empty playground. 

“What are we going to do here?” She followed him past the merry-go-round and slides. 

“Swinging. Or, if you like we could climb that dodecahedron spider web thing.” He pointed over at the jungle gym from his seat on one of the swings. 

“Swing.” She sat on the one next to his. Her feet touched the ground before she pushed off and began to pump. “I feel silly.”

“Why? There’s no one here.” 

“We’re suppose to be adults.” It didn’t take long for her to match his rhythm. 

As he reached the apex of his arc, he stretched out with his arms and legs fully extended and pointed his toes. He glided back to the apex on the other side. “What’s un-adult about swinging? It’s nap time for most kids, so it’s not like we’re preventing anyone else from using the swings. Besides, I love the feel of being up in the air. It’s almost like flying.”

“You and flying.” Babs laughed in the pure reckless joy of doing something simply because it was fun. She closed her eyes, followed his example and stretched out on the swing. It did almost feel like flying. A day off like this was rare for her. Even then, she planned her day out so she wouldn’t waste a moment of the time. She would never have thought to set aside time for a simple jaunt in the park. “This is amazing. I haven’t done anything like this in ages.” 

“We’ll do it again.” Dick vowed that he’d find ways to add more spontaneity to their lives. He started to pump his legs and arms again, regaining the height he had lost while coasting. 

“You’re good with poetry, aren’t you?” Dick asked as he swung forward and she glided back. 

“Some. There’s a whole world of poetry out there and I haven’t memorised all of it.” 

“My dad would sometimes recite a poem while we were swinging on the trapeze during practice, but I don’t remember where it’s from.” 

“I’ll try. Do you remember any of it?” 

Dick was silent for a moment while he adjusted his swinging until they were once again in tandem. “’How do you like to go up in a swing, Up in the air so blue?’” 

“’Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing Ever a child can do!’” Babs finished the stanza. 

“That’s it! What is it?” 

“ _The Swing_ by Robert Louis Stevenson. My dad used to recite it to me too.” It was funny how they could still learn new things about each other even after all this time. 

Dick dragged his toes through the rubber chips made from recycled tires.

“What’s wrong?” She began the process of slowing. 

“Nothing. I just remembered, Bruce knows the poem too.” He was dredging up memories he had not thought about for a long time. “Not long after I moved into the Manor, I was having a rough time. I couldn’t sleep and I missed being up in the air. The trapeze and the rings and the rest weren’t in the Cave yet. At the same time, I couldn’t get the image of the snapping lines out of my head. They were haunting my dreams. At the circus, I would have worked through it up on the trapeze, but I didn’t have that option anymore. Alfred suggested that Bruce take me swinging. 

“So one day, Bruce picked me up from school and took me to a park. We must have been a sight to behold because Bruce had come from work and was still wearing one of his designer suits and I’m this scrawny kid with dark circles under my eyes and dressed in my school uniform. We swung in silence for a while and then out of nowhere, Bruce starts reciting that poem. By the end I’m saying it along with him. When we finish, we go back to swinging in silence.

“After we’d swung for fifteen minutes or so, I finally tell Bruce what’s been bothering me. He listened. He really listened. Not long after that Bruce had the trapeze installed. And the rest is history.” He shrugged bouncing his shoulder against the chain.

“Thanks for sharing.” Babs reached across the gap between the swings and held Dick’s hand. It threw off the rhythm of the swings and they swayed more side to side than back and forth. “And thanks for bringing me here.”

“Anytime.” Dick grinned. He pulled her swing towards his and wrapped his arm around both chains so that he might seal the promise with a kiss.

 


	5. Of Dinner and Diamonds

Dinner at the Bistro was everything they could have hoped for and their was still time and sunlight left before Babs was expected to be on patrol. They strolled along the sidewalk catching each other up with the details of theirs lives since they’d last seen each other. 

“Over here, I want to sit down for a bit.” Babs led the way towards a fountain. Water sprouted from the center, poured over the ornate pedestal into a large basin and towards but not over the wide cement ledge. The fountain was a new enough addition to the Gotham architecture that it hadn’t yet been scarred by vandalism or crime. 

“Sounds good.” Dick sat besides Babs. His fingers danced along her leg. “I was thinking. Since I’m in town...why don’t I join you on patrol.” 

“You don’t need to. The schedule is covered.” She undid the knotted bun and shook out her long hair. 

“I know, but I want to. I have extra gear and uniforms in the Cave, so that won’t be an issue.” His touch traced along her leg to the small of her back and up her spine. “Do you remember when we used to patrol together all the time?”

“How could I forget? Those were the best nights.” She leaned in and kissed him. 

Their kiss was interrupted as the wind changed directions, misting their backs with a cold spray from the fountain. Babs shivered and leaned forward. The wind caught her unrestrained hair and blew it in her face. Dick brushed her hair back behind her ear. Never breaking contact with her skin, his fingers continued across her jaw and down her neck.

“What’s this?” He traced her necklace, looping his finger under the chain. 

“Dick...” she protested, but didn’t stop him. 

He followed the chain, tugging it out from under her shirt. He gasped softly as he recognised the ring strung on the chain—a single diamond on a gold band. “You still have it.” 

“Of course.” She plucked the ring from his fingers and let it drop against her shirt. “I never meant for our separation to be permanent.”

“What happened to us?” He clasped her hands. The engagement ring glittered in the twilight. 

She squeezed his hand. “Life, I suppose. We never really talked about it when you got back, then.... Well, at some point, we just went in opposite directions instead of coming together.” 

That was the problem, wasn’t it? They would split instead of working through their issues. Yet, while they were apart, they continued to be drawn to each other, never able to truly let go, never wanting to let go. She couldn’t do that anymore. Either they worked through their issues together, or this time she would need to find a way to let go. Ice ran through her veins at that thought. She shivered and leaned against Dick. 

He wrapped his arm around her and rubbed away the cold. “Do you ever think that things might have been more bearable if we’d stayed together?” 

“Possibly. But, we can’t go back. Even if we could, I don’t think I’d want to. Who could say we’d do any better the second time around?”

“Hmm...” Dick knew she was right, but part of him still wanted to go back and do better. If they couldn’t go back, then all he could do was continue forward and learn from the past. This time would be different. Better. 

She reached for the necklace clasp. “Do you want it back?”

“No.” He tucked it back under her shirt. “You keep it for now.” 

 


	6. Of Fireflies and Futures

Dick and Babs strolled hand in hand across the backyard of the estate. Night had come to Gotham, but they weren’t ready to end their day off. They slowed their pace to linger under the burgeoning star studded sky as they approached the back door. Once they entered the Manor, it was back to their duties as Batgirl and Nightwing.

“Look,” Dick said and pointed to a clustering of fireflies. He gave Babs a carefree grin before chasing after the glowing insects. Catching one in cupped hands, he brought it over to Babs. 

She placed her hand against his allowing the bug to crawl over her fingers. The skittering legs tickled as it explored. “I haven’t tried catching fireflies in ages.”

“Me either.” He scooped up another from a blade of grass. “When I was with the circus, the other kids and I would catch them on nights we didn’t perform. My mom would never let me keep them. She said they belonged to the night sky and not trapped in a jar. They were free spirits like we were.”

“That’s a lovely image.” She rested her head against his shoulder. “I wish I could have met your mom.” 

“Me too. She would have loved you.” He blinked back the tears that started to gather in his eyes as his gaze was drawn to the imposing presence of the Manor. His life had changed so much over the years. A life full of blessings and curses, of great joys and great pain. All of it together brought him to this very moment, with her. Life with Barbara was worth it all. 

Babs turned her hand as the firefly crept along to the back of her hand. “When I was little, I used to call them shooting star bugs.” 

“That’s cute.” His bug perched on the tip of his finger. It stretched its wings, but didn’t take flight. Its light flickered. He could imagine evenings in the backyard with their own children, catching fireflies and recollecting stories. His throat was dry when he spoke again. “How’d you come up with that?”

“You know how hard it is to see the stars from inside Gotham city limits?”

Dick nodded. 

Her bug glowed as it made its way across her hand. “On the nights when the weather was nice and Dad wasn’t on duty. He’d sit outside with a paperback novel and I’d play in the backyard. Those nights were so peaceful and for that moment  it felt like Gotham couldn’t touch us and I’d want to make a wish on a star. While I couldn’t see the stars behind the clouds and pollution, the flock of fireflies reminded me of shooting stars. So, I’d catch one and make a wish.” 

“What would you wish?” 

“That dad would be safe. That Gotham wouldn’t taint him. That there would be more nights like that.” 

“I like that.” Dick cupped his hand over his firefly and whispered over it. “May there always be nights—and days—like this one.”

He uncovered the firefly and allowed it to take flight. 

“Amen,” Babs whispered and let hers fly free. 

The fireflies flew off into the night. Their twin bio-luminescent glows marked their way like shooting stars across the night sky until they were lost from view. 

 


End file.
